critique

1 of 2

noun

cri·​tique krə-ˈtēk How to pronounce critique (audio)
kri-
: an act of criticizing
especially : a critical (see critical sense 1c) estimate or discussion
a critique of the poet's work
an honest critique of her art

critique

2 of 2

verb

critiqued; critiquing

transitive verb

: to examine critically : review
critique the plan

Did you know?

What’s the difference between criticism and critique? There’s some overlap in meaning, but they’re not the same in every situation. Criticism is most often used broadly to refer to the act of negatively criticizing someone or something (“I’m more interested in encouragement right now than criticism”) or a remark or comment that expresses disapproval (“She shared a minor criticism about the design”), while critique is a more formal word for a carefully expressed judgment, opinion, or evaluation of both the good and bad qualities of something—for example, books or movies. Thus, a critic can write a critique that may be full of criticism.

Examples of critique in a Sentence

Noun She wrote a radical critique of the philosopher's early essays. They gave a fair and honest critique of her art. Verb The class convened to critique the student's latest painting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
His foray into the art world has spurred critiques from some art critics who questioned the young artist’s skill level and early success. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024 Managers withholding critiques for weeks or months, preventing her from immediately applying it to her work. Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024 The show also embeds and anticipates its own critique. Alison Herman, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024 On a background call with reporters on Wednesday, a senior FCC official tried to get ahead of common critiques of net neutrality, including that the common carrier classification would allow the FCC to impose price regulations on ISPs. Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 3 Apr. 2024 Federal Authority: Against the critique that the CTA encroaches upon states' rights to oversee business formations, supporters could argue that the federal government possesses a valid interest in overseeing corporate entities that exert a national influence. Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 There are Purim spiels which re-enact the story (with the audience drowning out the name of Haman), often mapping it onto social critiques of the day. Deena Prichep, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024 But there’s an obvious critique in graffiti’s persistent presence in impoverished communities. Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024 Beyond Banks’ customary outspokenness, a notable group of Beyoncé fans levied similar critiques. Aj Willingham, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
Countless papers have been written critiquing the 4% rule. Rob Berger, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 Expert says study has flaws Daniel Scott of the University of Waterloo, an expert on skiing and climate change, reviewed the study for USA TODAY and critiqued the findings. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 But one of those things is not like the others, a conservative federal appeals court judge said this month in a lively talk at Harvard Law School that critiqued recent trends at the Supreme Court. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 One of the strongest voices critiquing the blog belonged to Paul Needham, a rare book librarian at Princeton University. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024 Facebook's Oversight Board has also openly critiqued the company’s perpetual enforcement lapses since its inception. Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 And yes, late in the show there are scenes in which Carmichael and Anonymous watch and critique scenes from Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024 Trending on Billboard In the video, which has since been critiqued and repurposed into various memes countless times on X, Blackband sits outside of Accor Stadium between two friends. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 Throughout his decade in power, Modi has positioned himself as a leader capable of making strong decisions, impervious to critique. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin critica "evaluation of literary works," borrowed from Greek kritikḗ noun derivative from feminine of kritikós "discerning, capable of judging" — more at critic entry 1

Verb

derivative of critique entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1679, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of critique was in 1679

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near critique

Cite this Entry

“Critique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critique. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

critique

1 of 2 noun
cri·​tique
krə-ˈtēk
: an act or instance of criticizing
especially : a critical estimate or discussion

critique

2 of 2 verb
critiqued; critiquing
: to examine critically : review
critiqued the plan

More from Merriam-Webster on critique

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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